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<title>Goldleaf Day Three: Battle Couple by Smokestarrules</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114727">Goldleaf Day Three: Battle Couple</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smokestarrules/pseuds/Smokestarrules'>Smokestarrules</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Smoke's Goldleaf Week Stories [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:35:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>653</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114727</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smokestarrules/pseuds/Smokestarrules</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 1: Confession<br/>Day 2: First Date<br/>Day 3: Battle Couple<br/>Day 4: Pride<br/>Day 5: Comfort<br/>Day 6: Anarchy<br/>Day 7: Atlas Academy</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joanna Greenleaf/May Marigold</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Smoke's Goldleaf Week Stories [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736959</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Goldleaf Day Three: Battle Couple</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Day Three: Battle Couple</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Joanna could be so stupid sometimes. That was all May could think right now.</p>
<p>
  <span>It had been a regular mission; Mantle’s walls had been knocked down for the fifth time this </span>
  <em>
    <span>week </span>
  </em>
  <span>and they'd gone to deal with it. There hadn't even been any Goliaths, just a couple of Teryx’s and an odd Manticore or two. It should've been easy. But May had let herself get distracted, for just one moment - not even a second, really - and a particularly annoying Teryx had decided it wanted Huntress for a snack. It had happened so fast; May had been shoved out of the way.</span>
</p>
<p>Joanna had taken the hit, of course. </p>
<p>
  <span>They sat in the hospital room, Fiona sitting in the nearby seat - Robyn was out talking to the doctor - and May leaning over to hold Joanna’s hands in her own. Oum, she feels so </span>
  <em>
    <span>guilty.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>“She’ll be fine,” Robyn reported, walking into the room. “The doctor says she’ll most likely wake up soon, too.”</p>
<p>“Oh thank goodness,” Fiona breathed. May didn't say anything, but she sighed, taking Robyn’s words to heart and letting a bit of weight slip off her shoulders. She still felt bad, but it was better knowing Joanna would be okay.</p>
<p>The three of them sat there in silence for a little while. It was nearing the time of day where the early risers in the city would start to wake up, but May didnt feel tired. Neither did Robyn and Fiona, because they were both definitely awake, even if they weren't moving. Finally, Robyn spoke. </p>
<p>
  <span>“It's not your fault.” May ignored her. Beside Robyn, May heard Fiona shift uneasily. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>May</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The way Robyn said her name prompted May to finally look up and meet her eyes. Her leader looked troubled, of course, and there was a glimmer of what looked suspiciously like pity in her gaze. “She was the one who chose to get hit.”</span>
</p>
<p>“Only because I didn't see it,” May replied dully. </p>
<p>Fiona opened her mouth, but Robyn beat her to it. “Everyone gets distracted sometimes,” she said firmly, staring May down. “Do you think Joanna would want you to feel like it's your fault? That's because it's not.”</p>
<p>Thankfully, because May would like nothing more than to end this conversation, Joanna chose that exact moment to stir. The team was upon her in milliseconds, chattering so that May really didn't get a chance to simmer in guilt until a while afterwards.</p>
<p>It was finally when Robyn had ducked out to go and find them something to eat and when Fiona had fallen asleep in her chair that May could finally talk to Joanna alone.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry.” </p>
<p>“What? Why?” Joanna furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. </p>
<p>
  <span>“For letting you get hurt,” May said. “For not seeing the Teryx </span>
  <em>
    <span>right behind me.” For not being a good partner. For not being quicker. For not being better.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Joanna seemed to see the unspoken words and snorted. “May. I'm only gonna say this once, okay?” She waited until May had met her gaze before continuing, “this wasn't your fault. It was all me, alright? I'm the one who decided to jump into a Teryx’s jaws.”</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can't accept that,” May said matter-of-factly. She had to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>better </span>
  </em>
  <span>to ensure this never happened again. </span>
</p>
<p>“Even so. Don't feel guilty, okay?” Joanna tried to sit up, but her ribs protested the idea and she lay back down. “This was all on me. If you want to try harder then do so, but this wasn't your fault.”</p>
<p>May’s shoulders slumped. She didn't want to argue with Joanna, not when she was hurt. She wasn't stupid; she knew these thoughts weren't healthly, either. Maybe she could compromise.</p>
<p>“..maybe you're right.” And maybe Joanna was wrong. But she didn't want to deal with that anymore. “I'm still sorry.</p>
<p>Joanna gave her a joking smile. “Well, you can sacrifice yourself next time, okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I literally cannot write romance to save my life TAKE THIS</p></blockquote></div></div>
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